By: Shelley Henderson

Eight car dealerships from North Carolina’s Mills Automotive Group partnered with The Salvation Army to fill the pantries of families in need during the Mills Automotive Group Day of Service. Cars lined up at the dealerships and dealership employees worked alongside The Salvation Army and local law enforcement to load food boxes into cars and provide a gift card for every household.

Mills Automotive Group was one of the participating dealerships in the Toyota/Lexus Minority Owned Dealers Association National COVID-19 Day of Service on May 22, 2020. The Mills Automotive Group employees were so moved by the event, Damien Mills decided to give other dealerships the chance to participate. Eight Mills Automotive Group dealerships in North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia participated in the Day of Service.

“As a result of the pandemic, many families are left with more questions than answers during this time. I feel one of these questions should not be where their family’s next meal is coming from,” said Mills, the owner and CEO of Mills Automotive Group. “Our dealership’s Day of Service is meant to uplift our communities, neighbors and friends during their time of need. We are humbled and grateful to partner with The Salvation Army in this great effort.”

Each location distributed 200-300 boxes of food, with each box containing enough food to last a family of four for a week, and a Walmart gift card. In total, more than 1,800 boxes of food were distributed to families in need.

“The economic impact of this pandemic continues to impact families, both those who were already experiencing the challenges of poverty, and some who are experiencing them for the first time,” said Lt. Colonel Jim Arrowood, divisional command of The Salvation Army of the Carolinas. “We are extremely grateful for the support of Mills Automotive Group so we can continue to meet the evolving needs of the most vulnerable.”